


Down the Rabbit Hole

by AwstensGuitar



Category: Set It Off (Band), Waterparks (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Alice in Wonderland Fusion, Awsten is Alice and Otto is the white rabbit, Gen, Just Boys Being Bros, rated teen for Awsten's dirty mouth
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-28
Updated: 2020-01-17
Packaged: 2021-02-19 04:49:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,308
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22005442
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AwstensGuitar/pseuds/AwstensGuitar
Summary: If the parx boys were Alice in Wonderland characters, as suggested by my best bro who's producing some great art for the au
Kudos: 10





	1. Awsten in... Wonderland?

**Author's Note:**

  * For [boyonthebluemoon](https://archiveofourown.org/users/boyonthebluemoon/gifts).



Awsten had long since abandoned the idea of calling himself one of the sharper tools in his family shed, but it sure didn’t take an Isaac Newton to figure out that a boy with rabbit ears and a tail sprinting through his backyard was out of the ordinary. The green-haired boy quickly brushed cookie crumbs off his skirt, glanced around to make sure his mother wan’t watching, and took off at a dead run after the other boy. Silently, he thanked the years he’d spent as a small child wriggling through fence slats, because the practice gave him an unbelievable advantage at slipping out unnoticed. The rabbit boy never stopped his desperate flight, muttering “I’m going to be so late, he’ll kill me” as he dashed around and between the trees before disappearing from Awsten’s sight just before the two of them hurtled into a clearing.  
Skidding on the grass, he turned around to see where the hell the other boy could’ve gone. The only culprit he could see was a hole at the base of an oak tree, from which he nearly thought he could hear soft music. Cautiously, he knelt down and reached down into the hole, trying to find the bottom, if it was only a tunnel. His hand grasped only empty air, which only further sparked Awsten’s curiosity. Before he could change his mind, he pulled his arm out of the hole, swung his booted feet in, and dropped down.  
For a few seconds, he could still see sunlight shining through the hole in the forest floor but then it vanished and he was still falling with his skirt flying up in his face. Every now and then, he thought he saw the flash of a light somewhere to the side, like a flashlight shining off a piece of metal, but those glimpses were few and far between. Besides, just lying in the air as he plummeted was far more fun than worrying about where in the hell he was. Abruptly, a well-lit ceiling appeared above his head and he smacked into the ground with a loud thump that knocked the breath out of him.  
Once his lungs had gotten back to the task at hand, Awsten looked sat up and looked around, just barely catching a glimpse of the rabbit boy’s tail as he rounded a corner at the end of what now looked like a long hallway. Jumping to his feet, Awsten followed, calling out “Hey! Who are you?” The other boy turned around with panic in his eyes and stopped momentarily as he saw Awsten, but immediately returned to his headlong dash in the opposite direction with a sound of dismay, still saying something about being late. Awsten stopped running, suddenly aware of how tired he felt, and sat down wth is back against one side of the hall. “Why the fuck am I even here?” he asked the empty air, and sighed. “Meh, I guess it’s more fun than just sitting in the yard doing nothing.”  
Awsten decided to ignore the fact that he was beginning to have full conversations with himself in favour of exploration. Taking a deep breath, he stood up, brushed the dirt off his skirt, and started walking in the direction he’d last seen the rabbit boy. “I really need to come up with a better name for him.” He walked along in silence for a few seconds, thinking. “You know, he kinda looks like a Liam. I’ll just call him Liam until I learn his name.” Satisfied with this result, he continued resolutely down the hallway, stuffing his hands in his pockets as he encountered nothing but seemingly endless stone walls.


	2. Curiouser and curiouser...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Awsten encounters the mad tea party and a rather strange-looking man that calls himself Geoff

Sighing heavily, Awsten rounded yet another corner of the maze he’d discovered, tangling his fingers in his hair instead of paying attention to the turns he was taking. Caught up in trying to extricate his hand from a particularly nasty tangle, he nearly passed by the small door carved into the wall on his left. Kneeling down, he tried the knob. To his surprise, it turned and opened smoothly without making a sound. He wondered how they’d been able to oil the hinges so well, whoever “they” were. However intriguing the rabbit-eared boy had been, the appearance of the door was even more curious and attracted Awsten’s full attention. Cautiously, he leaned over to peek through the hole.  
On the other side of the door lay a vast green meadow, framed in the distance by a massive hedge. “Curiouser and curiouser,” Awsten muttered to himself as he began to crawl through the little door. There was no way in hell he was even going to consider trying to find a way back home before figuring out what was going on in this underground mess. For a few seconds, Awsten’s shoulders got stuck in the narrow gap, but he wiggled his way through and hesitantly stood up to look around. Off in the distance, opposite the hedge, he thought he saw a long table and chairs. Figuring that was his best bet for finding someone to ask about what he’d gotten himself into, he set off in that direction, valiantly shrieking every now and then as grasshoppers danced around him and brushed against his legs.  
As he came into solid view of the current inhabitants of the table area, Awsten squeaked as he tripped on a rock that was obscured by the grass. Before he could hit the ground, a figure flashed into his vision and caught the startled boy’s weight. Looking up, his mismatched eyes locked with the mystery man’s twinkling blue ones. “Why, hello there,” he greeted Awsten, grinning, “would you like to join a little tea party? We’re always happy to have new guests.” Swallowing nervously, the green-haired boy nodded, uncertain of what exactly was happening, but willing to play along until he figured it out. “Excellent!” The rather dapper-looking gent in front of him confirmed the boy had regained his footing before sweeping into a deep bow. “Pleased to make your acquaintance, dear fellow, I am a hatter by nature and mad by profession, as they all tell me.” Bringing his eyes up to meet Awsten’s again, he walked over to the table and pulled out a chair. “Now what might your name be and your purpose in Wonderland?”  
“ _Wonderland?!?_ ” Awsten exclaimed. By the heavens, his day was getting more and more confusing. He carefully made his way over to the proffered chair and sat down, minding not to wrinkle his skirt. The self-proclaimed mad hatter guffawed at his reaction and took his former place before pouring tea out of a rather beat-up kettle into what looked like a cereal bowl for Awsten. “How rude of me,” he said as he set the makeshift cup down, “I nearly forgot my own name. The rest all call me Geoff.” As he completed his introduction, he swiftly winked. At least, Awsten thought he did, but it happened to fast for him to really be sure. Either way, he nodded and smiled politely before saying “I’m Awsten. You can give me a nickname if you want as long as it’s not too ridiculous.” With a jolt, he remembered the reason he’d jumped down the rabbit hole in the first place. “Say, you wouldn’t happen to be friends with a kid my age that looks like a rabbit, would you?”


	3. Tea and Toadstools

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Awsten sets off to find his rabbit by learning the whereabouts of the Red Queen

For several moments, the blue-eyed hatter didn’t answer, looking lost in thought. Awsten took the silent time to fiddle with the hem of his shirt, a habit his family disapproved of. Happily, Geoff appeared to find no issue with it, only tapping his index finger against his chin before replying “I do seem to remember a White Rabbit, but I cannot say for sure whether he is the only one of his kind.” Upon hearing the news, Awsten sat up a little straighter, trying to contain his excitement. “Can you tell me where he is? Or, or, um, where he lives?? How about his name???” Geoff chuckled at the boy’s curiosity and leaned back in his chair with his hands behind his head. “He’s on the move too much for me to say where he is, but his name, if I recall correctly, is Otto. He’s a cute little fellow, I will give him that, but I think the Red Queen’s been getting more and more upset.” Awsten gasped suddenly, remembering hearing the other boy’s exclamation about being late. Crossing his legs and picking up his improvised teacup, he leaned towards Geoff. “Where’s this Red Queen you mentioned? I’m pretty sure that’s where he was headed.” Geoff smiled and made a shrugging motion. “Hell if I remember anything important like that. Maxx here should, though.” He nudged the guy to his left, a smaller man with little round ears who’d been asleep. He startled awake, which made his ears and nose twitch, and turned grumpily to Geoff. “What in blazes do _you_ want?”  
The hatter merely grinned again and gestured to Awsten, who was staring at Maxx’s ears and wishing he could pet them. Geoff poked the green-haired boy’s cheek, his face suddenly eerily close to Awsten’s. In a marvelously proper response, Awsten promptly yelped and jumped out of his chair, which made Geoff burst out laughing. Poking his head out from under the table, he quickly updated Maxx on the situation. “I’m looking for the Red Queen. Do you know where she lives?” Maxx’s nose twitched as he frowned in concentration and shoved his bangs out of his eyes. Shaking his head, he turned to Awsten. “I can’t tell you that, but I know someone who can. I’m taking you to Travis.” Awsten sighed, annoyed that nobody in this damn place knew anything about what should’ve been considered really and truly important. However, he understood that his best chance was to follow Maxx into the trees, so he did. But definitely not without a little bit of complaining about the shiny new grass stains on his socks.   
Maxx covered for Awsten’s newfound grumpiness by chattering across the whole way, rambling from the weather to a few of his friends to a sincere cursing out of Geoff’s antics. Awsten giggled at the last part, causing Maxx to smile warmly at him. Suddenly, he put a finger to his lips and nodded in the direction of a small clearing up ahead. Peeking around him, the green-haired boy nodded gravely before reaching up hesitantly to pat Maxx’s head, which earned him another smile and a quick pat on the shoulder before the dormouse turned and dashed back in the direction they came from. Squaring his shoulders and making certain his skirt was even, Awsten stepped into the clearing, unsure what he was about to meet. A loud sigh echoed around him, emanating from somewhere to his left. He turned to look and saw a massive caterpillar-looking man sitting on an overly large mushroom who was smoking…something or other. Awsten walked purposefully over to him and stood up on his tiptoes to tap his hand. “Excuse me,” he said, “I’m looking for somebody called the Red Queen? I’ve been told you can tell me where to find her.” The caterpillar chuckled deep in his throat and let out another massive exhale. “And what do you need to know that for, little man?”


	4. Queen Takes Knight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Awsten finally gets some answers and comes face-to-face with the Red Queen

Awsten scowled at the figure blocking most of his field of vision, indignantly placing his hands on his hips. “I’m not small by any standards except yours,” he said, “besides, I have a name of my own, and it’s Awsten, thank you _very_ much.” The caterpillar laughed deep in his throat, and blew a massive cloud of smoke into the air above the boy’s head. Awsten stayed where he was, glaring defiantly. No way in hell was he going to back down just because some giantass insect thing laughed at him. He was Awsten Knight, renowned in his neighbourhood only for his stubbornness and impertinence, and he was damn sure he could handle whatever this weird place threw at him. He didn’t let up his glare until the caterpillar inclined his head in greeting. “Hello, Sir Awsten. You may call me Travis, since that is my name. You come to seek information, but surely you may stay awhile to indulge an old creature’s curiosity.” The green-haired boy frowned, as he rather considered his purpose to be a mission of the utmost importance and not at all something to be delayed. As such, he folded his arms neatly over his chest and shook his head firmly. “I’m sorry, Mr. Travis, but I have to continue. Someone may be in danger and I want to help him if I can.”  
Travis nodded in understanding as he inhaled from the pipe again. Awsten let on the impression of waiting patiently but the aggressive tapping of his foot gave him away. Travis smirked and blew another cloud up into the sky. Turning back, he addressed the boy’s original question. “The Red Queen’s castle lies wherever it pleases. But my intuition tells me you will find it in the croquet garden o’er yonder,” he said, moving his enormous head to indicate the direction, “it’s there you should find what you seek. Good luck, young Awsten.” At this last pronouncement, he sighed loudly again and his attention shifted back to his pipe. The green-haired boy hardly waited for him to finish his statement before starting to run headlong through the woods once again, waving a small goodbye as he left. Travis laughed once more, contemplating the running figure slowly vanishing into the distance. It was rather admirable, he thought, the determination Awsten carried in the set of his shoulders and the swift movements of his feet across the grass. Few were able to stand up the Red Queen but this one…he may well possess what it took.  
Awsten laughed joyfully as he bounded towards the garden, skirt flying out behind him. As he reached the crest of the nearest hill, he caught sight of the landscape spreading out before him, and gasped as he stopped in his tracks. Hedges and fountains stretched out nearly as far as the eye could see, but in the center was a wide open space where Awsten thought he saw a flash of white next to a larger red one. With great purpose, he set off down the hill and towards the huge complex. After a few times getting stuck in dead-end hedges, he emerged in the center of the garden, where he saw a red-headed, red-dressed figure shouting orders to various individuals scattered about the place. Striding forward, he nearly made it close enough to attract their attention, but was knocked flat by a tall…fluffy…something. Which turned out to be a person with long fuzzy ears and piercing green eyes.  
Awsten gasped as he recognized the rabbit boy that had brought him into this whole mess of a place. “I know you!” He exclaimed, sitting up abruptly as Otto stared at him in shock. “You ran through my backyard!” Otto swallowed hard and jumped away from him nervously. “Y-you, you can’t mean you’re from up there? That’s impossible, you can’t, I couldn’t hav-“ He stopped abruptly as the Red Queen turned to see what the fuss was about. “What seems to be the problem, Otto?” a level voice demanded. The above boy darted behind Awsten as if that would hide him. “Nothing, nothing’s at all the matter, Jawn, it’s alright, no reason to worry, it’s nothing.”  
“I’m getting very tired of your continuing issues here, my Rabbit,” Jawn replied, staring _through_ Awsten at Otto’s trembling form. A lazy grin spread across his face as he gestured to a few of the guards standing around. “Let’s keep it simple now so you can’t screw this up. Off with their heads.”


	5. We're All Mad Here

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Awsten and Otto run away from the Red Queen and meet... someone else entirely

Awsten sprang to his feet, pulling Otto up with him and pointed an accusatory finger at the Red Queen. “Now hold on just one motherfucking second!” Jawn glared lazily at the outraged boy in front of him, leaning down slightly to make their gazes level. “And what are you going to do about it, grasshopper?” As a boy often considered “rough and crude,” Awsten could certainly summon a good few cutting remarks in response to any statements he found condescending towards his appearance or manner. “You know goddamn what?” He shouted at the tall red-clothed man facing him, “if you’re too fucking lazy to worry about someone working for you, some Queen you are! Hell, you’re nothing but a dressed-up snob pretending to be better than everyone else so you can hide behind your false sense of superiority over all us common folks that actually have feelings!!”  
Protectively linking his and Otto’s fingers together, he directed a final glare at the now discomposed Jawn, who was opening and closing his mouth repeatedly in attempts to respond to Awsten’s rant without losing his own cool. The green-haired boy smirked at the effectiveness of his contrary behaviour, smiled warmly at Otto, and said “wanna go on an adventure?” The rabbit-eared boy opened his mouth slightly in surprise but nodded quickly, squeezing Awsten’s hand. The two took off running out of the garden and heard Jawn’s scream “after them, you fools!” echo behind them. The boys didn’t dare look behind them to see their pursuers and didn’t stop running until a few minutes after they passed the tree line. When they slowed to a casual walking place, Awsten scooted himself a little closer to Otto as he saw how much darker the woods were than the other parts he’d seen.  
“Where are we?” he whispered, trying not to sound too nervous and failing. A long chuckle resounded around them as a vaguely feline grin appeared and coalesced into a full form on a branch above them. “You two are rather adorable specimens,” the mysterious figure said, resting his head on one large paw and smirking, “be a shame if you were to get lost out here.” Otto stepped left to bring himself fully between Awsten and the newcomer. “What do you want, Cody? We’re not lost,” he paused to glance around, “…I think.” Cody laughed again and turned to face Awsten. “So tell me, my dear rabbit, who’s the little human? He looks truly scrumptious,” he said, licking his lips. From behind Otto, Awsten glowered momentarily and very sweetly flipped Cody the double bird, which only made the feline laugh harder. “His name’s Awsten, fuckwad,” the green-haired boy said, “and he can speak for his own damn self.” Cody laughed again and gracefully leapt to the ground in front of the other two, smiling broadly. “Oh I _like_ this one!” he exclaimed, bowing to Awsten. “It’s a great pleasure to meet you, Mr. Feisty,” he continued, waggling his eyebrows.  
Once Cody had appropriately recovered from Awsten kicking him someplace quite ungentlemanly, though, he offered to guide both him and Otto to a kinder part of the woods. The walk was made in mostly amicable silence combined with Cody and Awsten shooting each other Significant Glances and Otto being forced to pick Awsten up so the two wouldn’t start fighting. After a few of these incidents, the young rabbit resorted to carrying the other boy through the forest piggyback-style. Cody was rather pleased by that development, as it left him free to roam across the grass and tree roots instead of being confined to jumping along branches. After the third time he got distracted by a bird, Otto sighed heavily and resigned himself to the fact that he was surrounded by impulsive fools while being himself barely separate from that label. This was nowhere near going on his top ten favourite days list. Yes, he kept one, no, he was not going to show it to anyone.


End file.
